a pin of wood or other material driven or fitted into something, as to fasten parts together, to hang things on, to make fast a rope or string on, to stop a hole, or to mark some point.
Informal. a leg, either real or wooden.
still on his pegs at 99.
a notch or degree.
to come down a peg.
an occasion, basis, or reason.
a peg to hang a grievance on.
Music. Also a pin of wood or metal in the neck of a stringed instrument that may be turned in its socket to adjust a string's tension.
Informal. a throw, especially in baseball.
The peg to the plate was late.
Economics. the level at which some price, exchange rate, etc., is set.
British, Indian English. an alcoholic drink, especially a whiskey or brandy and soda.
British. clothespin.
to drive or insert a peg into.
to fasten with or as with pegs.
to mark with pegs.
to strike or pierce with or as with a peg.
to keep (the commodity price, exchange rate, etc.) at a set level, as by manipulation or law.
Informal. to throw (a ball).
Journalism. to base (an article, feature story, etc.) upon; justify by (usually followed byon ).
The feature on the chief of police was pegged on the riots.
Informal. to identify.
to peg someone as a good prospect.
to work or continue persistently or energetically.
to peg away at a homework assignment.
Informal. to throw a ball.
Croquet. to strike a peg, as in completing a game.
a small cylindrical pin or dowel, sometimes slightly tapered, used to join two parts together
a pin pushed or driven into a surface: used to mark scores, define limits, support coats, etc
music any of several pins passing through the head ( peg box ) of a stringed instrument, which can be turned so as to tune strings wound around them See also pin
US and Canadian equivalent: clothespin. Also called: clothes peg. a split or hinged pin for fastening wet clothes to a line to dry
informal a person's leg
dialect a tooth
a small drink of wine or spirits, esp of brandy or whisky and soda
an opportunity or pretext for doing something
a peg on which to hang a theory
a mountaineering piton
croquet a post that a player's ball must strike to win the game
angling a fishing station allotted to an angler in a competition, marked by a peg in the ground
informal a level of self-esteem, importance, etc (esp in the phrases bring or take down a peg )
informal See peg leg
(of clothes) ready to wear, as opposed to tailor-made
(tr) to knock or insert a peg into or pierce with a peg
to secure with pegs
to peg a tent
mountaineering to insert or use pitons
(tr) to mark (a score) with pegs, as in some card games
informal (tr) to aim and throw (missiles) at a target
(intr; foll by away, along, etc) to work steadily
he pegged away at his job for years
(tr) to stabilize (the price of a commodity, an exchange rate, etc) by legislation or market operations
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English pegge (noun), peggen (verb), from Middle Dutch
A peg is a bolt or pin that holds something in place or marks a location. When you use peg as a verb, it means to identify someone or something: "I pegged you as a word lover, the first time I laid eyes on you." A coat rack might consist of a line of wooden pegs, and you might also secure a tent by driving metal pegs into the ground to hold it there. When you fasten or pierce something with a peg, you can say you peg it. Informally, if you peg a person, you make a judgment about them: "I'd peg him as a messy housekeeper based on the way his dorm room looks."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Analysts peg fourth-quarter earnings at $1.03 a share, according to FactSet.
From Barron's • May 26, 2026
In that place at that hour, you might not peg him as the winner of a high-priced treasure hunt.
From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026
On an adjusted basis, Hilton boosted its projection to a range between $8.79 and $8.91 from a previous forecast of $8.65 to $8.77 a share, compared to the Wall Street peg of $9.04 a share.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026
It causes people to feel bad when you peg a time to it.”
From MarketWatch • Apr. 25, 2026
“So are all of us. You’ve bitten through a bigger peg than this one I’m dragging. Tell us what to do.”
From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
